Luke's Lobster (East Village, NYC)

Luke's Lobster (East Village, NYC)
93 E 7th St
(between 1st Ave & Avenue A)
New York, NY 10009
Neighborhood: East Village
http://www.lukeslobster.com/


Not much needs to be said about Luke's.  If you like lobster/crab/shrimp rolls.  Go.

Decided to go with a lobster roll this time but I also really enjoy their crab rolls but I had been fed a delcious crab dinner the night before.  The bread was especially buttery this time.

Smorgasburg (Williamsburg)

Smorgasburg (Williamsburg)
http://www.smorgasburg.com/

After a little tennis at McCarren Park in Brooklyn, I made my first trek to Smorgasburg, a Brooklyn Flea Food Market.  There were plenty of vendors out and about and being along the water made the event that much more enjoyable.

Post tennis we were a bit hungry so we got down to business by taking a lap around the event and then getting food.  A pulled pork and beef brisket slider were sampled.  Macarons were purchased, along with spring rolls with mushroom and a lamb burger.

Ducks Eatery (East Village, NYC)

Ducks Eatery
351 E 12th St, New York NY 10003
212.432.DUCK
info@duckseatery.com

http://www.duckseatery.com/

For a 30th birthday extravaganza weekend dinner, we all went to duckseatery in the East Village.  It's a new restaurant and we had a blast.  The decor is that trendy brick that's been popping up in restaurants.  The drinks were varied and fairly well done.  Food itmes were more along the lines of small sharables and there was a decent variety.  Luckily the focus of the dishes was meat based with an asian flair in the flavor profiles.  There are a few kinks for them to iron out but overall it was quite an enjoyable dinner and rather cost effective value for an EV restaurant.

BALLS with crab (curried)

Initially, I had planned on helping out with my friends' entry into the Brooklyn Food Experiment this past weekend.  My two friends had a dish that was mostly planned out and just required a little of my help with execution.  Unfortunately, due to time constraints and other commitments we did not end up competing.

The original competition required a curry element and the plan involved coconut milk, curry, risoto, tomato, tamarind, an herbal medley salad and CRAB.

The dish was implemented Friday night as I arrived for my other friend's 30th Birthday Extravaganza.  Quite the meal to start my weekend.  Photos below:

Final Dish: Fried coconut curried crab meat risotto balls with a tomato/tamarind chutney and a perilla, basil, lime salad.  Yum. 

Philadelphia Orchestra (Season Preview)

Philadelphia Orchestra (Season Preview)
The Kimmel Center
Verizon Hall
http://www.philorch.org/

On Saturday, I went to the Philadelphia Orchestra's Season Preview. The show was quite good and showcased one of Philadelphia's cultural gems.  Being a native Philadelphian, this is one of the perks of the city that I have been underutilizing.  Considering it was a free concert, I had to go and I am quite glad that I did.

My only caveat is: the orchestra is supposed to be a classy nice affair.  College students and high schoolers and patrons new to the orchestra, please try to dress up a little more than sweatpants and a hoodie or a tanktop.  Thanks.

I also got to attend the concert seated in the conductor's circle, the area behind the stage.  As a musician it was interesting to be able to watch the performance from that angle.  It made me a bit nostalgic for when I played in an orchestra. I managed to sneak a few photos in before the concert started from the Conductor's Circle before getting yelled at by an usher.  Photos are from my cell phone.

Terror Behind the Walls Dinner Package

Terror Behind the Walls (Dinner Package) Fairmount/Philadelphia.

Eastern State and Terror Behind the Walls:
http://www.easternstate.org/halloween

Jack's Firehouse:
http://www.jacksfirehouse.com/Home/tabid/54/Default.aspx

Terror Behind the Walls and Fairmount have a Dinner Package that is worth checking out if you're nto both haunted houses and food.  If you live in or near Philadelphia, you must check out Terror Behind the Walls around the Halloween season.

A $65 dollar package gets you a four course meal at a Fairmount restaurant, we chose Jack's Firehouse.  This is followed by a rapid pass which allows you to bypass the line after you finish your meal and a ticket into Terror Behind the Walls.  The only downside we experienced was that everyone was battling a food coma as we made our way through the adventure.  Luckily Terror Behind the Walls is very well done and kept our attention even through our fooditis.

Considering tickets for the event itself runs around 40 dollars and you get to bypass everyone who is in line, it's not a bad deal.  For those of you who enjoy the "VIP" experience, this might be the way to go.